The same group says, "Various studies have found high rates of alcoholism, depression, anti-social personality disorder, mood disorders and other conditions in pathological gamblers, leading some researchers to suspect that problem gambling is often a symptom of an underlying condition."

The Arizona Office of Problem Gambling says many of its clients have showed signs of various other compulsive behaviors, including 32 percent with tobacco; 31 percent with alcohol problems; 22 percent with drug problems; 17 percent with food compulsions; and 11 percent with shopping compulsions.

• Debt and bankruptcy: Gambling debt doesn't appear to figure significantly into Utah bankruptcy filings.

"My rough and dirty guess would be 5 percent to 6 percent (in which) gambling is a significant factor," said Duane Gillman, an attorney and bankruptcy court trustee.

"Is it a big deal among other factors? No, it is not. It's not like tapped out health insurance," which accounts for about 30 percent of filings.

The National Opinion Research Center in 1999 said 19.2 percent of the pathological gamblers identified in its research reported filing bankruptcy, compared to rates of 4.2 percent for non-gamblers and 5.5 percent for low-risk gamblers.

The National Gambling Impact Study Commission said a survey of 400 Gamblers Anonymous members showed that 22 percent of them had declared bankruptcy.

The Arizona Office of Problem Gambling said in a recent report that among gamblers who sought help from it, 24 percent had filed bankruptcy.

"It's definitely a problem in other states," said Jean Lown, a Utah State University family and consumer studies professor who specializes in bankruptcy. "I get the sense it's not a big deal in Utah."

Local bankruptcy attorneys say they don't often have chronic gamblers as clients.

Draper lawyer Russ Blood said he could only think of one in 22 years of practice. But, he adds, people aren't anxious to report gambling debt, even when filing for bankruptcy.

"I don't think it's something people would be proud to 'fess up to," he said.

Whether any monetary loss was due to gambling is among a list of questions filers are required to answer on paper as part of a bankruptcy case.

Attorney Justin Burton files 80 to 90 bankruptcy cases a month. He said he sees a chronic gambler every couple of months. They typically file Chapter 13 and set up a repayment plan, he said. Until lately, they all were Nevada casino gamblers. But one recent client, a 40ish woman, ran up an $80,000 tab playing online.